Articulated locomotive.



G. M. EATON.

ARTIOULATED 'LOGOMOTIVB.

APPLIOA'TION FILED APR. 12, 1909.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY G. M. BATON, ARTIGULATED LOGUMOTIYR APPLICATION FILED 1231.12, 1909,

Patented Aug, 27, 1912.

WITNESSES:

G. M. EATON. ARTIGULATED Loqgmmm APPLIOATIQIX E-ILEJ'D 4311-, 12- 1909.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

6 SHEBTS-SHEET 4.

Q 1 INVENTQR ATTORNEY G. M. EATON. ARTICULATED LOGOMOTIVE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1909.

1,036,81 1, v Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEBT 6.

m cmon Y momma! G. M. EATON. ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE- APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1909.

1,036,81 1 Patented Aug. 27, 1 912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

ATTORNEY polling motors.

lTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. iIA'roN, or wILKINssuno, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING comr NY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

AnrIcuLA'rEn noeomorrvni To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. EATON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Articulated Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway vehicles, and it has special reference to locomotives which are composed of twoarticulated half units and are provided with electrical pro- Electric locomotives of large capacity have heretofore been composed of two-articulated half units in order to reduce the rigid Wheel base of the locomotive and topermit of the replacement of a disabled half unit by an operative member, thereby reducing idle equipment to a minimum.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and elfective means for so coupling the half units of an articulated locomotive that the leading half unit shall act as a leading truck for the trailing half unit in either direction of operation.

Another object of my invention is oppose the tendency for a so-called nosing action to take place between the half units. This nosing action may be such that the joinedends of the half units will move laterally across the center of the track, either together or in opposition. Coupling devices ordinarily used for vehicles may 'be entirely inadequate for the-articulation of lo omotive half units each of which is provided with a relatively short rigid wheel base and a swivel truck at its free end, since the leading half unit, as a whole, does not lead the trailto above. My coupling also provides such a.

reaction between the two half units of the locomotive that the forward section is, en-

M: is an elevation of a locomotive comprising Application filed April 12, 1909. Serial No: 489,252.

articulated units constructed in general accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial planview of the running gear of the device shown in Fig. 1 which sets forth the articulation or coupling mechanism; Fig. 3

is a detail view of one of the parts of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse section every particular. Each of the sections comprises side frames 3 and 4,2111 articulation,

girder 5 and a plurality of cross-ties 6, driving axles 7 to which drivers 8 are secured and a four-wheel swivehtruck 9. The driving axles are held in journal boxes 10 that are supported in the side frames 3. The

swivel truck 9 is secured to the body bolster in the usual manner. I

The articulation girder 5 is specially constructed to receive the parts of the coupling or articulation.mechanism, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The articulation mechanism'comprises a' pair of parallel draw bars 11 and 12, which are pivotally secured, at

their respective ends, to heads or spreaders 11 and 12 whlch, in turn, bear upon fo1- lowers 13 and 14, friction draft gears 15 and 16 located one on ,each half unit of the locomotive, levers'17 and 18, which are pivotally secured to the articulation girders 5., followers 19 and 20 which are pivotally connected to intermediate points in the levers 17 and 18, plunger-s or sliding links 21 and 22- that are adjustably mounted in cylindrical hearings in the articulation girders and friction heads 23 and 24 which are piv,

otally secured to the outer ends of the plun-.

gers 21 and 22. I.

' The draw bars 11 and 12 are relatively long so that their points of attachment lie v within the'rigid wheel base of the locomotive. half units. The ends of the draw bars are provided with lateral extensions 25 to engage guide-ways it which .110 provided in t-he articulatlon girders, to carry the weight of the ends of the draw bars.

The levers l7 and 18 are disposed transversely of the locomotive half units, between the draw bars 11 and 12, and their ends are pivotally connected to the plungers 21 and 22. The friction draft gears 15 and 16 are interposed, respectively, between the followers 13 and 19, and 14 and 20, and their operation is limited,in one directiomby means of wedges 28 and 29 which are bolted, at their outer ends, to slotted castings 32 which are in turn bolted to the side frames 3 and 4. The wedges 28 and 29 are supported, at their inner ends, by guide blocks 33. Each of the wedges is provided .with two sets of holes 3 1 and 35 which are relatively staggered so that an adjustment of the wedge may be effected by changing a bolt 38 from a hole in one set to a corresponding hole in the other set. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the end of the slot which is adjacent to the taper edge of the wedge is cut to register so that the wedge limits the outward movement of the plunger with which it is associated. j l

The method of coupling the two half units with initial tension on long draw bars is as follows:- All parts in each half unit are assembled loosely in position, except long draw bars 11 and 12, and wedges 28 and 29. The wedges 2S and 29 are then entered and are driven hard home, compressing the fric v tion draft gears 15 and 16 to a greater ea? tent than the maximum desired initial com pression. The long drawr bars 11 and 12 are then entered into one half unit and pinned to the spreader 11 The two half 7 units are then brought together and the long outlined a ove. V I the tenslon strains are borne entirely by the plied.

draw bars pinned tothe other spreader 12 The wedges 28'and 29 are then driven out sufiiciently toiefave the desired clearance of wedge in slot30 and are held from further movement by bolts 38. The complete locomotive is then" coupled in operative condition. The articulation mechanism as a whole is'so constructed that a somewhat greater tension may preferably be placed upon the draft gears than is ordinarily utilized in railway vehicles.

When. the various parts become worn so that the pressure initially applied to the draft gear is reduced beyond the required minimum, a new wearing plate 39 01'40, or a new wearing head 23 or 2% will be ap- VVctlges 28 and '29 willbe usedin making a plication and readjustment,-as Under pulling conditions draw bars 11 and 12. j v

The followers 13fand 14 extend horizontally beyond Spreaders 11 and 12". Under bumping conditions these followers will'engage shoulders f ijl and 42cm the articulation girders sothattheframe of the locomotive receives the compression strains and no buckling can occur on long draw bars. The

friction draft gears 15 and 16 are, of course, interposed, in both cases, to prevent the shocks which would otherwise come upon the rigid parts-of the locomotive.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, a stirrup 60 depends from a crossbeam 62 and serves to support and steady the draw bars 11 and l2,'which are relatively long and might otherwise be disthey are supported by followers or spring blocks 68, in the usual manner.

Since one end of the cross-beam 62 is supported from one half-unitand the other end by the other half-unit, the stirrup tends to hold the draw bars-in their proper position without danger of bending or distorting them even when'the adjacent ends of the .half units are considerably out of horizontal alinement. F urthermore, the helical springs form a yielding support for the extremities of the cross-beam, thereby permitting a considerable adjustment of the stirrup without allowing the draw bars to chatter at any time. The stirrup itself may be of any suitable form, comprising, as shown in the drawings, a U-shaped member 69 having a pair of cross strips '70 s cured to its arms, upon which the draw bars rest.

The operation of the locomotive in service will now be-described.

If it is first assumed that the locomotive is .at rest on a straight track, there will be a certain amount of tension in the draw bars 1 11' and 12. -This is due to the fact that the draft gears '15 and 16 are under initial compression. This tension on the draw bars will be equalized by a like amount of compression which is equally divided bctween the friction heads 23 and 24 which engage the friction plates 39 and 40. If the locomotive is starting a heavy train on a'straight track, the tension on the draw bars 11 and-12 will be increased, the draw bar pull being transmitted to the locomo- -ti:ve structure through the friction draft gears which will be compressed. This will permit the half-units tobe temporarily separated to a slight degree. The plungers 21 and 22will be forced outwardly until they. engage in slot 30 with wedges 28 and 29. The engagement between the friction surfaces will be lost under maximum starting draw bar pull, but the initial pressure of farther from the center;

frictiondraft gear will be so adjusted that, at speeds where nosing might occur, the friction heads will, on account of reduced draw bar pull, engage heavily with the friction plates. The action is thus ina measure automatic,-a greaterfrictional engagement existing as s'peed,.and consequent possibility of nosing increases.

When the locomotive is rounding a curve, while all of the' tension is still being borne by, thedraw bars 11 and 12, the compression strains will not be equally divided between the friction heads 23 and 24 but the one on the inside of'the curve will be compressed to agreater extent than the' one If the curve is sharp, the outer friction head may be. separated entirely from the friction plate with which it is normally engaged, all of the compression being thrown upon the other friction head, under these circumstances.

Since the friction heads are not located onv the locomotive centei'line, the compression forces referred to above will tend to maintain the two units in alinement and will be of material assistance in causing the forward half unit to lead the trailing half.

unit when the locomotive is rounding curves.

The fact thatthe friction heads tend to keep the two half units in alinement obviously assists in overcoming the nosing of the half units together and the friction between the heads and the plates serves to dampen any tendency of the half units to The structure of the draftgear forms no part of my present invention and other suitable structures may be substituted for that illustrated, within the scope of my invention; While I believe the articulation mechanism shown in the drawings to be preferable, I do not desire to be limited to any specific arrangement, and I desire that V modifications which do not depart from the erally displaced parts, and friction gears interposed between said members.

2. in a railway vehicle, the col'nbination with a pair of half units, of a coupling comprising a centrally disposed tension a rigid wheel base for each half unit, of coupling means between half units comprising draw bars the ends of which are pivoted-to the half units within the rigid wheel base of each of them, and reactionplungers at the sides of said drawbars.

4. In an articulated locomotive,the com-.

bination with two half units, of a-coupling therefor comprising draw bars that offer no resistance to bumping, and reaction plungers at the, sides-of said draw. bars.

5. In an articulated locomotive, the combination with two half units, of a coupling between the half units com rising centrally located draw bars which 0 er no resistance to bumping, and reaction plungers which tend to maintain the half units in alinement.

6. In an articulated locomotive, the combination with two half units, of. a coupling therefor comprising friction draft gears,

draw bars that act through the draft gears in one direction, and reaction plungers that oppose bumping and act through the draft gears in the opposite direction.

. 7 .In an articulated locomotive, the combination with a pair of half units having driving wheels at their adjacent ends form ing a rigid wheel base foreach half unit, of coupling means betwcen half units comprising draw'bars which ser e to tie the half a nits together through the draftgcars, reaction plungers which opposebumping between half units and means for transmitting the forces exerted upon the plungers to the adjacent ends of the draft gears.

8. In a railway vehicle, the combination with two half units having suitable body frames, of a coupling therefor c znprising centrally located draw bars, a reaction plunger located at one side of each half unit, a

cross lever fulcrumed on each body frame and pivotally secured to the inner end of the corresponding reaction plunger, and resilient spacing means having limited movements relative to the bodyirames and each disposed between one end of the draw bar and an intermediate point in the corresponding cross lever.

9. In a railway vehicle, the combination with two half units having suitable body body frame and pivotally secured to the inner end of the corresponding reaction plunger, a pair of draw bars and friction draft gears each of which has a limited movement relative to one of the frames and is interposed between an intermediate point in the corresponding cross lever and adjacent ends of the draw bars.

10. In a railway vehicle, the combination with a pair of half units havingdriving wheels at their respective ends forming a rigid wheel base on each half unit, a reaction plunger located at one side of each half unit, a cross lever fulcrumed on the frame of each half unit, and pivqtally secured to the inner end of the corresponding reaction plunger, a follower pivotally secured to an intermediate point in each cross lever, a pair of draw bars, a spreader pivotally secured to adjacent ends of the draw bars, a second follower cooperating with the spreader, a friction draft gear which is disposed between the two followers on each half unit and has a limited movement relative to the frame of said half unit.

11. In a railway vehicle, the combination with a pair of half units. having driving wheels at their respective ends forming a r1g1d wheel base on each half unit, a reaction plunger located at one side of each half 1 unit, a cross lever fulcrumed on the body' 30 frame of each half unit, and pivotaily secured to the inner end of the corresponding reaction plunger, a follower pivotally se- 1 cured to an intermediate point in each cross lever, a pair of draw bars, a spreader pivotally secured to adjacent ends of the drawi bars, a second follower cooperating with the spreader, a friction draft gear which is dis-l means for posed between the two followers on each wheels at their respective ends forming a rigid wheel base on each half unit, a reaction plunger located at one side of each half unit, a cross lever fulcrumed on the body frame of each unit and pivotally secured to the inner end of the reaction plunger, a follower pivotally secured to an intermediatoe point in the corresponding cross lever, a pair of draw bars, a spreader pivotally secured to adjacent ends of the draw bars, a second follower cooperating with the spreader, a friction draft gear which is disposed between the two followers on each half unit and has a limited movement relative to the body frame thereof, and means for adjusting the initial compression in each draft gear comrising a wedge that extends through'a slot 1n the corresponding reaction plunger to limit its movement in one direction, and adjusting the position of the wedge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of April 1909.

GEORGE M. EATON.

Witnesses:

R. J. DEARBORN, B. B. HINES. 

